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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



DANIEL C. COLESWORTHY. 



By JOHN WARD DEAN. 



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Reprinted from the New-England Historical and Genealogical Register for July, 1893. 



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DANIEL C. COLESWORTHV. 



Mr. Daniel Clement Colesworthv died 
at his residence in Chestnut Street, 
Chelsea, Mass., April 1, 1S93, in his 
83d year. He was the second son of 
Daniel Pecker and Anna (Collins) 
Colesworthv, and was born at Port- 
land, Me., July 14, 1810. An obituary 
of his father is printed in the Register, 
vol. 6, pp. 3S9-90, and his pedigree in 
vol. 15 of this work, page 330. lie 
learned the trade of a printer of Arthur 
Shirley, who printed the Christian 
Mirror, a religious newspaper still pub- 
lished in Portland. Soon after attain- 
ing his majority he opened a printing 
office in Middle street, and began the 
publication of a juvenile weekly called 
the Sabbath School Instructor. He 

published other newspapers, the best 
known of which was the Portland 
Tribune, a weekly literary paper which 
he founded in 1841. He edited ami 
published it for four years, and then 
sold it to others who continued tie' 
publication. About this time he opened 
a bookstore in Exchange street, which 
was afterwards removed to the base- 
ment of the Manner's Church in Fore 
street. In 1850 he removed to Boston, 
Mass., and opened a book-tore in 
Cornhill, where 'he continued to carry 
on the bookselling business till his 
death. He lived to be the oldest book- 
seller in Boston. His bookstore was 
frequented by many men of note, lie 
counted among his personal friends 
Charles Sumner, Henry W. Longfellow, 
William Lloyd Garrison, Neal Dow, 
Nathaniel P. Banks, Elias Nason, John 
Pierpont, Elizabeth Oakes Smith, 
George Henry Preble, Wendell Phillips 
and John Neal. 

He began early to write in verse ami 
prose, and continued to employ his 
leisure in literary composition to the 
end of his days. He was a frequent 
contributor to literary and religious 
newspapers, and some articles were 
sent to editors just before his death, 



and were printed after he died. He 
was a voluminous writer and published 
many books. Many of his shorter 
poems had a wide circulation in the 
newspapers, and some found their way 
into hymn books and school readers, 
often anonymously. Some have been 
attributed to other well known authors. 
This was the case with " Little words 
in kindness spoken," and " Never say 
fail." His poem •• Don't kill the birds " 
is said to have had " great influence in 
arresting the slaughter of those inno- 
cents by inculcating in the minds of 
children a sentiment of mercy towards 
them." 

Among his published works may he 
named "The Old Bureau and other 
Tales"; "Sabbath School Hymns"; 
" Chronicles of Casco Bay " ; "A Group 
of Children " ; '• A Day in the Woods " ; 
•' School is Out," and "John Tileston's 
School." In Duyckinck's Cyclopaedia 
of American Literature (ed. 1875, vol. 
2, page 511), this estimate of him as a 
writer is found : " His writings in prose 
and verse are adapted to the people, and 
are generally on topics of familiar do- 
mestic interest. His tales, of which he 
composed many, illustrate the morali- 
ties of common life somewhat in the 
school of Franklin; while his poems, 
written with ease and simplicity, cm- 
brace the ever-enduring themes of the 
affections." 

Mr. Colesworthv married, at Port- 
land, Miss Mary Jane, daughter of John 
and Prudence (Richardson) Bowers, 
who was bora in Cambridge, Mass., 
Sept. 26, 1812, and died at Chelsea, 
May 27, 1874. Their children were; 
1, Daniel Clement; 2, Mary Jane; 3, 
Charles Jenkins ; 4, Ellen Maria, m, 
Charles W. Cochrane; 5, George Ed- 
ward; 6, Harriet. Ann, m. Thomas L. 
Hallworth ; 7, Alice Elizabeth, m. Frank 
E. Woodward; 8, William Gibson. 
All the children are living except the 
oldest, Daniel G, who died April 1, 
1867. 






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